2018/12/09/(Sun)

Panalpina’s relief flights at the end of the year have become a tradition whereby the company offers its air charter expertise to UNICEF. Same as last year, Panalpina assisted UNICEF by flying relief aid to Africa to help children in South Sudan, where the humanitarian needs after years of conflict remain massive. A Panalpina chartered cargo aircraft landed last night in neighboring Uganda, carrying nearly 70 tons of supplies including emergency health kits. The supplies will be trucked to South Sudan and distributed across the country as the dry season begins.

Panalpina’s Charter Network arranged the flight in support of the respected UN organization. The consignment of relief aid left Belgium on Wednesday afternoon and items such as health and education kits as well as therapeutic milk to fight malnutrition,supplied by UNICEF (the United Nations International Children’s Fund), are now headed for children, women and families in South Sudan.

“The peace agreement signed in August 2018 gives us hope that children in South Sudan can be children once again and look forward to a better future. But the years of conflict have come at an enormous cost and the humanitarian needs remain massive,” says Tim Irwin, chief of communications at UNICEF South Sudan.

The staggering scale of destruction and suffering determine people's everyday lives in South Sudan. 2.6 million children have been born into war. Around 4.4 million people, or 40 percent of the entire population, suffer from food insecurity. South Sudan now also has the world's highest proportion of children who do not attend school. 2.2 million children receive no education.

Essential medicines for 50,000 people

For the flight chartered and donated by Panalpina, UNICEF gathered nearly 70 tons of relief aid, which not only includes teaching material for schools, but also equipment for midwives, reanimation equipment and “Interagency Emergency Health Kits”. The standardized health packs containing medicines and medical supplies cover the diverse health needs in humanitarian emergencies and disasters. The kits ensure a fast, reliable and affordable supply of essential medicines for 50,000 people for three months and also address the need of children for psychosocial treatment in emergency situations.

The Panalpina chartered MD-11 freighter took off from Liège (Belgium) in the afternoon of December 5, and arrived in Entebbe (Uganda) in the middle of the night on December 6. For logistical reasons, and same as last year, it was decided to fly into Uganda from where the cargo is now being transported by trucks to South Sudan. The supplies will then be distributed across the country taking advantage of the upcoming dry season when dirt roads are passable.

“I am very pleased that we have again partnered with UNICEF and donated a relief flight to Africa. We have done this for the sixth time now, instead of making gifts to customers and employees before Christmas. The relief flights have become a tradition whereby we offer our air charter expertise and bring some respite to those who are less fortunate than us, especially children,” says Panalpina’s CEO, Stefan Karlen.

“Panalpina's commitment is unparalleled,” explains Hans Kuenzle, president of UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein. “To even come close to covering the enormous demand for life-saving aid in the world’s crisis regions, we rely on the generous support from companies such as Panalpina that transport these goods free of charge.”

Panalpina already supported UNICEF South Sudan last year. In 2016, Panalpina flew much-needed relief goods to Chad, where malnutrition and natural disasters had led to a health emergency. In 2015, Panalpina supplied a charter flight to Burundi, where a recurring crisis and violence took a heavy toll on society. In 2014, Panalpina supported the fight against Ebola by flying life-saving humanitarian aid to Sierra Leone. In 2013, Panalpina’s first relief flight for UNICEF took goods to the Central African Republic.

Revolutionising the delivery of medicines to remote areas using drones - the pilot project Deliver Future proves that it's not science fiction. Three experts in their respective fields are making it happen: DHL, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the German drone manufacturer Wingcopter. Over a six-month period, they successfully tested the delivery of medicines using a drone to an island in Lake Victoria. During the trials, the autonomous DHL Parcelcopter 4.0 completed the 60 km flight from the mainland to the island in 40 minutes on average. A total of 2,200 km were flown and roughly 2,000 flight minutes recorded during the pilot project.

2018/09/25/(Tue)

Deutsche Post DHL Group and UNDP get Sarajevo International Airport ready to support disaster relief efforts [Humanitarian Logistics]

44th Get Airports Ready for Disaster (GARD) workshop will be held in Bosnia-Herzegovina September 24-28The four-day training and assessment program will result in the creation of a customized disaster response action plan for Sarajevo International Airport

Bosnia and Herzegovina is vulnerable to natural and climate related hazards such as floods, landslides, earthquakes, heat waves, droughts and wild fires. In the immediate aftermath of such disasters, airports play a critical role in channeling humanitarian teams and relief goods quickly to people in need. To build resilience against future natural disasters, Deutsche Post DHL Group and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) team up with Sarajevo International Airport, the Ministry of Security, the Ministry of Communications and Transport, military representatives as well as other government officials and humanitarian response experts at Sarajevo International Airport to conduct their internationally recognized Getting Airports Ready for Disaster (GARD) program from September 24 to 28.

In 2014 the flood that impacted parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina was the worst flooding in 120 years and required authorities to declare a state of emergency. The floods affected one million people and destroyed infrastructure, businesses, livelihoods, farms and crops. Sarajevo airport played a key role in flying in relief supplies from abroad. As the effects of climate change continue to manifest themselves, Bosnia and Herzegovina expect to face more extreme weather challenges.

"Creating a disaster resilient infrastructure which includes disaster ready airports is crucial in order to save lives and reduce economic loss", underlined Sukhrob Khoshmukhamedov, UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina Deputy Resident Representative. "Better preparedness of all institutions involved to promptly act when disaster occurs and coordinate the response is a must", added Khoshmukhamedov.

"During times of emergency and disaster it is essential to have a trained team and a customized surge response plan in place. All team members should know how to handle the dramatic rise in air traffic and the flow of goods and people that typically follows a disaster," said Chris Weeks, Director of Humanitarian Affairs for Deutsche Post DHL Group. "Sarajevo International Airport is a strategically important airport in case of a natural disaster. In the Region Armenian and Kazakh airport authorities are already GARD trained and therefore well prepared for a surge in air traffic."

Over 25 participating officials and experts will join the four-day GARD workshop led by Deutsche Post DHL Group and UNDP experts. During the program, participants and trainers will evaluate the current level of preparedness at the airport, conduct training exercises, and develop specific recommendations as well as an individual action plan to ensure that the airport is prepared for future disasters.

Armin Kajmaković, director of International airport Sarajevo underscored the importance infrastructural capabilities and efficient administrative procedures play in quickly and effectively channeling relief efforts from airports to affected communities. “In addition to reassessing airport facilities and strengthening staff expertise, the workshop will lead to a series of follow-up activities including an action plan that we can use to build up our readiness for any potential emergencies,” Kajmaković continued. "We are committed to working together with all emergency counterparts to follow up on implementation and further strengthening our resilience."